Chaos
by FenrysTheWolf
Summary: The Black Swan is falling apart and the Neverseen are regrouping into something even more dangerous. Mysteriously, Councillors are turning up dead and in the center, a young Vanisher. But what can Ophelia do against this new evil? Note: Rated T just to be safe.
1. Vanishing

**A/N: Hi guys! I wasn't to sure what I wanted to write next, but seeing as Forgotten seemed to do pretty well, I thought maybe I should write another story featuring Tessa and Shane! I hope you guys enjoy! Note: Takes place 217 years in the future from Forgotten.**

 **Ophelia's POV**

Ophelia raced down the stairs to the dining room, fully dressed in her level four Foxfire uniform. She found her parents quietly drinking some tea while discussing something in hushed whispers. Why on earth were her parents whispering? They never did that, not unless they were discussing something important.

"Good morning, mom! Morning, dad! What are you guys talking about?" Ophelia exclaimed in a cheerful voice. Tessa, her mom, jumped slightly. She turned towards her daughter with an apologetic smile. Shane, her dad, looked equally apologetic.

"Good morning, Ophelia. Didn't see you there! We just received a letter from the Principle, Dame Corinna. She's worried that you might not develop an ability, seeing as the time frame is closing for you, but she has offered to keep you in Foxfire for the rest of the year in order to give you more time," Tessa explained. Ophelia's smile fell. It wasn't her fault she was the only level four with no special ability. Everyone kept thinking she would develop one seeing as she had such powerful parents, but everyday Ophelia never felt any different. But to imagine _not_ going to Foxfire? Foxfire was her life!

Ophelia sighed, her shoulder length hazel hair falling over part of her face. Tessa got up and brushed it away.

"Don't worry, though. Give it time," she whispered before returning to her seat. Ophelia sat down at the table and ate her breakfast quietly. When she leaped to Foxfire though, a new surge of determination swelled inside her. She would work as hard as possible to trigger an ability.

At her locker, she met up with her best friend, Rhea. Rhea had chest length wavy auburn hair and dark blue eyes.

"Hey, Ophelia! What's wrong? You don't seem quite like yourself today," Rhea asked.

"Well, if I don't develop an ability soon, I won't be able to go to Foxfire anymore," Ophelia confessed. Rhea frowned. She was a froster, and she'd developed it when she was in level two.

"That's no good! But don't worry, I'm sure you'll develop soon," Rhea responded before closing her locker and heading to class. Ophelia hoped so as well, however doubt had begun to set in. All throughout her classes, she couldn't help thinking that maybe she would end up Talentless. The only time she was able to set her mind on something else was Ability Detecting which started right after lunch.

Today they were testing for any Shades. All they did was put everyone in a room full of shadows. At least it wasn't as gruesome as some days, like when they tested for Gusters and stuck them in a wind tunnel. Ophelia was hopeful she would manifest as her dad was a Shade. The entire time though she didn't feel a thing.

The next day, when she woke up, Ophelia pushed off her covers. Immediately, she freaked out. _Why the hell can't I see my body?!_ She thought with a surge of panic. _Am I dead? Wait. I'M A VANISHER!_ As soon as she stood up, her body reappeared. Racing downstairs, she nearly barreled into her mother with excitement.

"I'M A VANISHER!" She cried with excitement. Tessa smiled at her daughter. Ophelia took another step, and her body disappeared. _How on this earth do I control it?_ She thought. Wiggling her shoulders, she made her body reappear. _Cooool!_ It would take some time to get the hang of it, but at least she would be able to still attend Foxfire!

Ophelia ran outside to go find her dad. She found him talking to someone she recognized as Sophie Foster. They were talking in hushed whispers. Taking a deep breath, Ophelia let the light pass through her body. There was no way she would be able to hide for more then a minute, but maybe she could learn something. She crept up, just close enough to hear their conversation.

"I'm really sorry to bother you with this, but it's serious. I can't find anyone else to help me out right now," Sophie said with a worried expression. Shane looked concerned, nodding for her to continue.

"Last night Councillor Emery was found dead in his tower."


	2. Secrets

**A/N: Hi guys! I don't really have anything to say so I'll just respond to the reviews!**

 **light-and-Shadows-Mist-and-ice: *insert smiley face***

 **Ophelia's POV**

 _Councillor Emery is dead?_ Ophelia thought. The shock broke her concentration and she appeared, just as Sophie and Shane turned around.

"Ophelia! You're a vanisher? That's great, but you shouldn't use that to eavesdrop!" Shane scolded her. Ophelia ducked her head in shame.

"If you do it again we'll push back the date when you get to pick a pet," Shane warned. Ophelia's eyes went wide. In the next week her parents promised her she could choose a pet, anything she wanted. She'd been dying to have one.

"O-okay…. I promise I won't do it again. Really! But what do you mean by Emery is dead…?" Ophelia asked. Sure Shane wasn't proud of how Ophelia had used her ability so far, but surely he would allow her to ask a question. Shane sighed. He nodded to Sophie who leapt away before explaining.

"Last night Councillor Derek found Emery dead in his tower. He seemed to have been murdered but we're not sure yet."

"Will any other people die?" Ophelia asked, worried.

"No, they're currently installing extra security in the towers and every other place in the Lost Cities," Shane promised. Ophelia wasn't convinced but she decided to let it go.

"Since I got a new ability does that mean I can switch my gardening class to Vanishing?" Ophelia asked, once again full of positivity. It was an act though, one few people would be able to see through. In reality her brain was ticking through the information and who might've done it and everything else. Ophelia didn't have a photographic memory, but her mind was certainly active. Not boring like other elves. Shane smiled down at his daughter, saying that he'd talk with the Principal later that day.

Ophelia practiced her vanishing all day. She still wasn't any good at it, sometimes she couldn't disappear, appear and sometimes she only half appeared. Her mom kept telling her though that the more she practiced, the better she'd be.

When her friend Rhea came over to her house, Ophelia decided to surprise her, waiting in front of the grand doors before appearing. Rhea jumped with a slight squeal before smiling at her friend, although she flung a snowball at Ophelia for revenge. They each laughed. Ophelia then remembered the real reason why she'd brought her friend over. She lead Rhea to her room and when she locked her door, she told her best friend about Councillor Emery.

"I heard my dad talking about it earlier today, to. He said though that he was…. Electrocuted to death," Rhea whispered, trembling slightly. Ophelia frowned. So whoever did it must have been a charger, but they wouldn't be able to single handedly break into the tower. The Charger must've had a friend, or a few friends….

As soon as her friend left, Ophelia ran the information by her parents. Shane and Tessa shared a look.

"It's…. Possible it was the Neverseen," Shane started out slowly. Ophelia frowned, remembering what her parents had told her earlier.

"I thought they were still in prison," Tessa murmured, mouthing Ophelia's thoughts. Shane sighed.

"I was going to tell you, but I never found the time. Three days ago there was someone who helped them escape…. For some reason they killed Gisela, Vespera and Gethen but Ruy, Umber and Trix escaped. There was no evidence of who did it, except a few dwarves were killed in the process," Shane reported. Tessa took a step back.

"The Neverseen are LOOSE? Why on EARTH didn't the GODDAMN Council tell us? We need to catch them before they kill anyone else, and find out exactly how dangerous they are now!" Tessa seemed close to panicking. Ophelia figured it brought back bad memories. Tessa pulled out her imparter before stepping out of the room to talk to someone. Shane ran a hand through his hair before going to make his own calls.

Ophelia sat there, letting the news sink in. Her parents had obviously taken it hard. She could see why, a bunch of killers, one of them being her dad's sister, is now running loose. Walking outside, Ophelia found a golden letter sitting on their front step. Even though she was supposed to show it to her parents, curiosity got the better of her so carefully she opened it.

 _In loving memory of our beloved Councillor, Emery, there will be a planting held in his honor tomorrow at two in the Wanderling Woods._

A funeral? It made sense. Ophelia had thought they would wait longer before breaking the news to everyone, though. Sealing the letter so it looked as though she hadn't read it, Ophelia brought it to her mother. Tessa thanked her before making what must've been her twentieth call in half an hour. Ophelia left her to start cracking on her homework. As she worked, though, she overheard her parents talking to each other downstairs. Something about a second death.

"It doesn't make any sense. Dex wouldn't do that," Tessa exclaimed.

"I don't think he would either, but there's evidence. Killed by some sort of gadget, a strand of strawberry blond hair was found as well. I can't think of anything else," Shane responded.

"Oh, poor Sophie…. She must be crushed! I should go see her. Maybe you can come? Tell Ophelia something she'll believe, she doesn't need to know that…. K-kee-keefe is…. D-de-dead," Tessa stuttered. Ophelia knew her mother almost never stuttered unless something was wrong. She heard a quiet knock on her bedroom door.

"Ophelia? Your mother and I are leaving to go see some friends, we'll be back this evening. Make yourself some supper, okay?" Shane's voice said through her door.

"Sure. Have fun, dad," Ophelia called back in her cheerful voice. It must've been pretty weird, like, _have fun trying to console your heartbroken friend after the death and betrayal of a friend!_ But it was necessary to say in order for it to seem like she hadn't heard and it would be the normal Ophelia thing to say.

Ophelia had no plans of staying home, though. Her parents might not think of this, but Ophelia had met Dex before a few times and he was great. No way would Dex actually kill Keefe. There must be something behind it. And was it just her that thought the fact that two deaths happened very close together? Ophelia's mind was already ticking through multiple possibilities as to why, but she was sure of one thing: The Neverseen killed Dex. Now, she just needed proof.

 **A/N: Please leave reviews guys, it really helps me continue writing and *insert sappy things*. I hope you guys liked it! Again, I'll try to post new chapters everyday, if you guys think it's to close together just let me know and I'll try my best to put a bit more time in between the chapters!**


	3. Trial

**A/N: Nothing to say again, so I'll respond to the reviews:**

 **light-and-Shadows-Mist-and-ice: Thanks! And I don't know…. :P**

 **Ophelia's POV**

Ophelia vanished as soon as she stepped past the gates of Keefe's house. There were only elves there, inspecting things. She'd practiced Vanishing lots, and had already received two classes on it. Carefully she crept through the huge doors and through the house until she found the spot where he'd been killed.

Everyone had left the evidence untouched. Ophelia saw the gadget laying on the ground and the strand of hair. At first she didn't think the gadget to be anything odd. Just an object to help frame Dex. Carefully she picked it up. The object vanished, so she couldn't see it, so she ran to a small closet and locked herself inside so she could appear and look at the object more closely.

It appeared to be normal. Except Dex now left his initials on every gadget he made and this one had no initials. This would have to be enough evidence. Surely people would question it's disappearance but Ophelia tucked it inside her jacket and left swiftly.

Two days later Dex was held on trial to see if he would be sentenced to Exile or not. It wasn't left open to the public, only friends of Keefe and Dex. Ophelia begged Tessa to bring her along, and with great reluctance, she finally agreed. Now Ophelia sat in the front row, her evidence in her pocket. Shane was off somewhere, so only Tessa was there along with Ophelia besides Dex's family friends and Keefe's family. Maybe Ophelia wouldn't get a chance to talk, so she would have to interrupt.

Since the death of Councillor Emery, the Councillors had yet to elect a new Councillor. However, for the meantime, Councillor Terik served as the head Councillor.

"Dex Dizznee, were you at Keefe Sencens house the day of the murder?" Terik asked, turning to face Dex who now sat on a chair with two goblins beside him.

"No. I wasn't," Dex answered without a hint of emotion.

"Really. Well, how would you explain this evidence?" Councillor Terik exclaimed with a smirk. He gestured towards two elves who brought in the lock of hair, however the other one seemed to look confused.

"Where is the gadget?" Councillor Terik demanded to know. The elf frowned before responding that it had gone missing. That was when Ophelia stood up with a curtsy before taking out the gadget she'd concealed in her cape. Tessa moved to stand up beside her daughter, however Terik held up a hand.

"My most sincere apologies, Councillor Terik! I simply knew that Dex was not incharge. It was to big of a coincidence between the death of Councillor Emery and Keefe! I snuck inside the house and stole the gadget, which wasn't the kindest move. However I know for a fact that Dex labels all of his gadgets with his initials now, and this gadget had no initials. Therefore, it can't be him!" Ophelia exclaimed. Councillor Terik took the gadget from her hands before inspecting it. He looked to Dex's family for confirmation of this fact and when they nodded, he went to talk with the other present Councillors. When they finished, they announced Dex to be innocent. Juline and Kesler looked so relieved. Councillor Terik even himself pulled Tessa aside to speak to her about Ophelia. Ophelia's heart swelled with joy- she'd fixed a huge problem from growing.

Only a few days later though, they received a letter from Sophie. Tessa opened it carefully.

 _The Black Swan is falling apart. What with Keefe's death and the confusion with Dex, everyone is worried about more betrayal's or death. So we are disbanding…. I fear the Neverseen has grown to powerful now. Fitz and I are in the process of talking to the Council about evacuating the Lost Cities. Tessa and Shane, I don't think we'll come out of this without more grievances….. Especially not since two more Councillors were just killed. Councillor Clarette and Councillor Derek._

 **A/N: I know! I'm evil. I'm sorry! I hope you guys liked it though, and apologies for framing Dex! Please review if you liked it or have any questions- thanks so much!**

 **-Anne the Crazy :P**


	4. Scout

**A/N: Nothing to say, as usual, and there's no reviews (please feel free to write a review, it encourages me to keep writing! 3) so I'll just get on with the story! Enjoy!**

 _Ophelia sat down in front of her mom's friend, Linh. She marveled at Linh's water tricks, especially when she made a beautiful dancer twirl around the room. Her parents were gone to some meeting so Linh offered to watch over her._

" _Ophelia, I'm sure you've heard of the stories, but would you like to hear of some of Sophie's adventures when we were young?" Linh asked with a smile._

" _YES! Yes yes YES please Linh!" Ophelia squealed. (She's like 7 here so expect squealing.) Linh laughed, a beautiful sound before she started telling little Ophelia about how they stopped the Gnome plague, all about Silveny and particularly about how Linh Sophie and Keefe saved Atlantis. Ophelia loved hearing the stories, the stories about a young girl who was new to the Elvin world and yet so powerful and brave. Sometimes Ophelia even let herself hope one day she would become like Sophie. Sophie, the girl raised by humans, the Moonlark._

Ophelia woke up the next day after they had found out about the Black Swan. She ran down the stairs to go find her mom.

"Mom? Why aren't the Black Swan still fighting, like when Sophie was a girl?" Ophelia wondered. Tessa sighed, turning to look at her daughter.

"They're scared, hun. When they were little, the Neverseen were never _this_ ruthless. And they have every right to be scared. Plus, they can't go charging all over the world anymore. Some of them are heartbroken as well. They aren't exactly what they used to be," Tessa explained.

"I think they can stop them! Remember when Aunt Linh used to tell me the stories? They had hope, so we need to restore the hope!" Ophelia exclaimed, getting more excited by the minute. In her head she could imagine herself bringing together the Black Swan so they could stop the Neverseen. It had to be possible!

"Oh Ophelia…. I'm glad you think so, except it's not that easy. We might pull through, but just in case of the worst, Shane and I decided to put you in extra after school Vanishing lessons. That way you can hide if you need to, ok?" Tessa responded. Ophelia nodded slowly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to get better at Vanishing, she loved it. Except she didn't want to just hide. Surely that wasn't the only use of her ability.

"Oh! Mom, can we please please _pleeeasse_ go to Atlantis today? It's been a full week!" Ophelia reminded Tessa. A smile appeared on her mom's face, the first one in awhile. She turned and gave Ophelia a hug.

Ophelia darted into the Pet Store in Atlantis with a smile on her face. Tessa followed behind. There were SO many pets to choose from! She simply couldn't decide which she liked more. This pet store carried the more or less 'house pets', which was what her mother said she could get, while another pet store carried the bigger 'outdoor pets'.

A small yip caught Ophelia's attention. She ran over to a small pen with an adorable little Hellhound puppy. He had smoky black fur with red eyes and sharp teeth, even for a little pup. (Think of a black wolf with red eyes that can light itself on fire.)

"MOM! Mom! I found what I want!" Ophelia practically squealed. Tessa came over with a smile which vanished when she saw that her daughter wanted a Hellhound that could light itself on fire. You could see why.

"Um…. a uh…. Hellhound? Fire demonic dog….? Why not get a um…. Something uh that doesn't light itself on fire?" Tessa asked slowly.

"Well, this one's cute and he's lonely and _PLEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEE_?" Ophelia asked, turning towards her mom with big puppy eyes. Much to Tessa's dismay the Hellhound pup did puppy eyes as well. With great reluctance, Tessa muttered 'I suppose….'

The store owner came up to them and showed them the leashes and collars for hellhounds as well as beds, food, toys. Ophelia chose a spike collar because they wouldn't burn and a smooth red leather leash. His bed was huge, fluffy and comfy. She also chose many toys, some squeaky, some for playing tug of war and others to just chew on.

Tessa's arms were quite full right then. When Ophelia's mom paid for all of it, the store owner smiled and took Ophelia's new puppy out of it's cage. He put on it's new collar and leash before handing him to Ophelia with a smile.

"Enjoy your pup!" He exclaimed brightly.

"I will! Thank you sir!" Ophelia replied brightly. Her new pet jumped up, putting his paws on Ophelia's leg and gave her a lick.

"Awww, I love you to!" Ophelia giggled, petting her Hellhounds head.

When they got back to the house, Shane nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw the dog.

"Tessa, why'd you let her get a hellhound….?" He asked in a whisper. Tessa shrugged.

"I best get some Quicksnuff in case this gets out of hand…. Ophelia, I'm trusting you to teach him not to burn the house down, ok?" Shane asked. Ophelia nodded before unclipping her puppies leash.

"Actually, Shane, the pet store owner said that as long as they have that type of leash on they can't set themselves on fire. So maybe don't go overboard with lots of bags of Quicksnuff. And Ophelia keep his collar on, ok? What are you going to name him?" Tessa asked with a tentative smile. Ophelia had to think about this.

"I'll name him Scout! That's a good name, right, boy?" Ophelia asked Scout. He licked her in response.

When the day was over, Scout sat beside Ophelia on her bed instead of his own bed which was in her huge room.

"Scout, do you think we'll ever get through this?" Ophelia asked her puppy. Scout responded by chasing his tail which made her laugh.

"Maybe together we can make a difference. Maybe there is hope left."


	5. Queen Thalia

**A/N: Just wanted to say sorry for not updating the last chapter for awhile (not this one but last one) it wouldn't let me upload a doc but now I'm back on track! Also, this chapter has the smallest amount of violence. Like a sliver of violence. I didn't get any reviews so I'll just move right on to the chapter! Enjoy!**

It was a few weeks of constant fear before the Neverseen struck again. This time though, it wasn't just a few deaths. Somehow they'd killed almost the entire Council except for Oralie who they held captive. Only an hour after this had happened, everyone had been given a special message.

Ophelia opened the message carefully. She had yet to receive the news- no one knew yet. Tessa and Shane stood behind her, watching.

 _It is to our great delight that we announce the deaths of_ _most_ _of your beloved Councillors. Why do we say 'most'? Because Oralie is being held captive. Your beautiful, golden ringlet Councillor. I, Thalia, am your new Queen. All must bow down to me- should anyone refuse, people will start to die. Should anyone try and rebel, Oralie dies!_

 _There will be a gathering at Eternalia tomorrow at sunrise. Everyone is to attend._

The letter slipped from Ophelia's trembling hands. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

"Mom? Is there any hope left?" Ophelia asked, her voice trembling. Tessa rested a calm hand on her shoulder. With a slight waver in her voice, Tessa responded,

"I'm not sure, Ophelia…. There's always hope, I just fear that it might not reveal itself until it's to late…." Scout then trotted up to Ophelia and nuzzled her as if he was saying 'don't lose hope'. Ophelia lovingly patted him on the head.

Tomorrow at Sunrise, Ophelia noticed that literally _everyone_ had gathered at Eternalia. Even the Ancients who tended to keep to themselves. Tessa had told her she had to leave Scout behind at home, but after much begging, she finally gave in. Scout now sat beside Ophelia and wore a brave 'don't you DARE hurt my Ophelia!' look, even though it didn't really look very threatening given he was a puppy.

Everyone who was gathered had an aura of fear surrounding them. Especially when a figure glittered onto the stage. The Councillors stage, but now it was the Queen's stage.

Queen Thalia was clad in a long golden gown. She wore a royal purple cloak with fur on the edges and a sparkling, foreboding diamond crown rested on her head. Ophelia saw that Thalia had long golden, wavy hair that shone in the sunlight. Thalia truly looked like a Queen, although she didn't appear as a nice, fair Queen. With the long twisting spikes on her crown and her sharp gaze, she appeared as a deadly, cunning Queen.

The Queen flashed a smile towards the crowd. As she did so, two more figures appeared on the stage, each on either side of Thalia. Ophelia recognized the one on her right as Shane's sister, Umber. Shane stifled a gasp as he saw his sister. On the left was a male elf with jet black hair slicked back. If Ophelia had to guess, she figured this was the Technopath Queen Thalia had used to get into the Councillors towers. Thalia opened her arms in a welcoming gesture towards the crowd.

"Welcome, my _dear_ subjects! Welcome…. To the future! I am rather disappointed to see you all here, though. You see, I was looking forwards to a little _excitement._ I suppose I must hold true to my word, though. So! You must all be here to pledge your allegiance to me! This will not be a simple oath, though. No, that anyone can do. What I have in mind, takes _true_ commitment. Everyone, form a line! Make it quick, I don't want this to take _all_ day," Queen Thalia declared in a regal voice.

All the elves shuffled into a straight line. There was, however, some shoving to not be the first in line. Somehow, Shane ended up first. He'd been separated from Ophelia and Tessa amid the shoving and shuffling. Still though, he puffed his chest out, and glared at Queen Thalia. Ophelia let out a small cry of fear when she noticed he was first.

"Shane! Shane Shane Shane…. I hear you are dear to your sister here, isn't that right, _Celine?_ Well, this will be rather exciting. Celine, dear, take this knife and slice open his hand," Queen Thalia exclaimed, her eyes watching Umber's every move. Ophelia saw Shane's sister pause before slowly taking the knife Thalia held out. Her hand trembling, she took Shane's wrist with one hand, the other gripping the knife tightly. Before she could slice open his hand, though, Shane whispered a plea.

"Celine, you don't have to do this," he whispered. Umber had tears in her eyes as she shook her head, glancing at Queen Thalia before slicing his hand open. The blade was ridged and sharp, it cut deep. Shane uttered a small cry as blood dripped on the ground. Queen Thalia looked pleased, though.

"I'm rather surprised you did that. Shane, you're special. I don't want you running loose. We need to keep everyone in check, after all. And I hear that you have family! A wife and a child, isn't that right? Come forwards or Shane dies," Queen Thalia shouted over the clearing, her voice dripping daggers.

Tessa turned to Ophelia, gripping her trembling daughters shoulders tightly.

"Ophelia, you need to hide. Take Scout, take off his collar. Hide, it'll be okay," Tessa whispered hurriedly with tears in her eyes. Yet her voice held strong. Ophelia hesitated for a moment before taking off Scout's collar, letting it fall to the ground. A moment later, she vanished. Scout easily followed her as she ran, he had a good nose. Shane subtly added shadows around Scout, hiding him. Soon she found a wall to hide behind. She appeared, Scout standing right by her side.

Bravely, Tessa stepped out of the line and strode over to the stage. Her eyes were narrowed, fixed on Thalia. With a quick glance at Shane, she paused right in front of the Queen. That was when Ophelia realized her brave, stubborn mother wasn't going to stand down. She was going to fight.

 **A/N: Hi guys! I hope you liked that! If you have any suggestions or comments or anything like that please feel free to review! If I get any I'll make sure to answer them in the next update!**


	6. Shocked

**A/N: I'm really sorry for the crazy long wait! I just wasn't in the mood for writing really I guess, I'm like that. I'll be writing like crazy for a few months then the next month or so it'll just be like 'meh'. Anyways, I'll respond to the reviews before getting on with the story!**

 _ **SophitzShipper**_ **: Pretty much, yes. Tessa prefers fighting with terrakinesis, although she's the type to do whatever. Unlike Shane *wink wink***

 _ **light-and-Shadows-Mist-and-ice**_ **: That basically describes the thoughts going through their heads ;D.**

Thalia barely managed to dodge the huge spike that shot out of the ground for her. Tessa managed to trap the Queen, but it wouldn't last long. She only took one threatening step towards the technopath before he fled. Shane was not doing quite so well. He was more of the wait-and-plan type of fighter. So he was obviously quite unprepared for Tessa's sudden attack. Umber had summoned two massive shadow wolves with glowing red eyes. Shane gathered his own shadows and combined them into a wyvern with ragged spikes bristling on his back.

Meanwhile, Ophelia ran as hard as she could with Scout easily keeping pace. She was careful not to make contact with the flaming pup. The elves waiting silently in line were standing there, stock still. Ophelia was ashamed of them for not helping. However a few elves did move to help, Sophie and her friends. Linh made a monster of a wave and it slammed into Umber, knocking her out. Sophie brought a few of her friends to chase after the Technopath.

Surprisingly, they seemed to be winning. Of course, the entire thing only lasted three minutes before the air crackled with electricity. A lightning bolt struck the temporary prison of Queen Thalia, causing the rocks to disintegrate. Ophelia would not have thought this possible.

Queen Thalia turned towards the staring elves. Tessa tried to sneak up but was stopped when another bolt of lightning struck the ground before her. The Queen's evil eyes fixed themselves on Ophelia. Grinning wickedly at Tessa, Thalia gestured for Ophelia to walk forth.

"Come, _Ophelia._ Don't worry- I won't hurt you. Although I suppose that might be a lie if anyone tries to defy me, _again…._ It truly is hard to find worthy elves, though," she paused and lightning struck Umber's dead body, making electricity course through her body until her shallow breathing stopped entirely. Shane stumbled forwards on his knees, rare tears coming to his eyes. He clutched his sister's limp head, muttering something only he could hear.

A smile spread across the Queen's face. Not your average smile, though, one that came with seeing your enemies shatter in front of you, a triumphant smile. Queen Thalia continued. "Ophelia, dear, if this helps you move faster then a slug, you can take Scout with you. His collar must be on, though. Oooh, a lovely idea just came into mind! Tessa, sweety, you serve me now. You won't think of anyone else. You will do everything I say, just as I say it. Keep in mind, now both your daughter's and Oralie's life is on the line," Thalia exclaimed with glee. Tessa's gaze dripped daggers, but after fixing a loving gaze on her daughter, she knelt in front of the Queen.

Everything happened quickly after that. All the elves were leaped to Queen Thalia's secret underground palace like structure. Queen Thalia took it upon herself to leap Ophelia there. She ordered the technopath who eventually returned to take Ophelia and her 'dog' to the same prison as Oralie was in. Ophelia wasn't sure what happened to everyone else, but her best guess was they were enslaved or something else that was horrible. The Queen had also taken it upon herself to appoint new 'servants' like Tessa. Powerful ones. And as she did so, she took one person they dearly loved and imprisoned them in order to have the ultimate leverage on them.

As the technopath shoved Ophelia down the hallway, a painful collar now on Scout's neck, Ophelia vanished. Her hands were bound with rough rope, forbidding much movement. The technopath froze with surprise, allowing Ophelia the time to kneel beside Scout. Her pup sensed her there and carefully snapped the rope with his powerful jaw. Ophelia unclipped his collar, and together, they took down the technopath.

Honestly, he was truly pathetic. Scout jumped on him, biting him, and Ophelia slipped out a dagger from his pocket. Weird, since usually elves didn't carry daggers. She didn't have the practice she wished she had with a dagger, but she ended him as swiftly as possible. Her hands were shaking as the knife slipped from her hands. Her knees met the hard ground first, and she crumpled, her head in her hands. It isn't even shameful to say that she was weeping her eyes out. Afterall, her parents were captured, she had almost no hope of escaping this place, and Queen Thalia was essentially the result if hell turned into a living creature.

Scout licked her face, nudging her to get up. Even though her head swam and blackness spread across her vision, somehow Ophelia managed to find a map in the technopaths many pockets. Carefully she unfurled it before checking where she needed to go to get to Oralie's prison. Before leaving, she also snatched the dead elf's keys from his cold hands. With Scout bounding alongside her, Ophelia made her way to the deepest dungeons.

After rounding a final turn, Ophelia entered a long hallway with forbidding cells along the sides. It was so dark down here, she could barely make out a limp figure sitting in one of the ten cells. She had to try many keys until she found the right one. The cell doors were rimmed with spikes so she had to carefully kick it open. Collapsing beside the elf sitting alone in the corner, Ophelia slipped the hood off of the Councillor. At least, she was expecting it to be Oralie. Instead, she found an unconscious male elf with curled ears and messy blond hair that was stuck to his face. His sky blue eyes fluttered open and he fixed a weak grin on Ophelia.

"Who the hell are you?" Ophelia demanded to know with a slight tinge of curiosity threaded throughout her voice. His cracked lips slowly uttered one word. A name that shouldn't have ever been whispered again.

"Fintan."

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked that! Huge plot twist at the end. Honestly, I was going to have Oralie be there, but then I was like** _ **if Fintan is there then all sorts of bad things can happen!**_ **So why not? Anyways, adios!**


	7. Daring Trust

Ophelia backed away from the elf, pressing herself against the cell across from Fintan's. The elf who was dead. Was supposed to have been killed. Yet there he was, in front of her. Not Oralie, the friendly Councillor she'd been expecting. Fintan let out a hoarse laugh before dissolving into a coughing fit. When he regained his composure, he slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on Ophelia. She noticed he had diamond shackles around his wrists and ankles.

"My dear, you certainly don't seem to happy to find me. I promise you though, I am your _only_ hope of actually escaping this dreaded place. Especially if you want to get Oralie out as well. Seeing as I know where she is and you don't, you are at quite the disadvantage," Fintan informed her with a smile. Ophelia realized he was right. How could she actually trust the same man who was once the leader of the Neverseen. Seeing her uncertainty, he added,

"If you do the wise thing and accept my help, I might even help you rescue Kenric." The name floated around her brain before she realized he was talking about the Councillor he killed.

"He's dead…. You _murdered_ him!" She screamed. Fintan let out a dry chuckle.

"Except he's not. Are you really willing to allow me to sit here and rot along with everyone else here, or are you going to be the brave girl who saves everyone? Along with my help, of course," he chided. Fintan did know how to get what he wanted. But Ophelia was positive there was some ulterior motive concealed behind his words.

"And how do I know you won't betray me?" Ophelia asked, glaring at the ancient elf. His cracked lips twisted into a sly smile.

"You won't. It's a trust game, Ophelia. Believe it or not but having sat here for over ten years makes anyone desperate. You have no idea what I would do to get out," Fintan explained, his smile falling slightly.

Scout placed his paw on her leg and gave her a small nod. Somehow a puppy managed to make up Ophelia's mind, no idea why anyone would trust a hellhound but you never know. Ophelia tried several of the keys before finding the right one. She slid it into the lock that kept his chains clasped tightly around his wrists and ankles and gave it a strong twist. The locks clicked and clattered to the cold stone floor.

Fintan rose, casting down a triumphant look on Ophelia.

"Much better. Now…. Follow me, and if you don't do exactly as I say, you will be killed. This palace is rigged with an unbelievable amount of traps," Fintan explained.  
She followed him through a number of hallways until they finally arrived at a huge obsidian wall.

"Why are we stopped in front of a wall?" Ophelia wondered.

"Because behind the wall is where Kenric is," Fintan responded in a hushed tone. He slid his hand down the side of one of the two golden columns beside the wall until his hand caught on some kind of invisible lever. He yanked it down and the obsidian wall slid into the ground, revealing another dark hallway similar to the one Fintan's cell was in. Identical, in fact. And in one of the cells was Kenric, the Councillor who should've been dead.

 **A/N: Hi guys! Sorry that was really short but I hope you guys liked it! Here's the responses to the reviews:**

 **light-andShadows-Mist-and-ice: I'm not sure :) And sorry about Umber…. Except not really :P**


	8. Pay-back

As soon as they step foot into the cell, Kenric's eyelids flipped open. They focused on Ophelia, ignoring Fintan entirely.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He wondered. His hand reached up to his head, probably because of a headache.

"I'm Ophelia Skye. This… Well, you know who this is," Ophelia whispered. Before Kenric could respond though she continued. "BUT don't hurt him, we need him to escape! And this here is Scout, my hellhound. We need you out of here, and before we go rescuing everyone else we need to find Oralie," she explained.

Kenric sat there glaring at Fintan until she'd mentioned Oralie's name. His eyes went wide, hiding a hint of desperation.

"She's here? Where?" At this, Fintan smiled.

"In the same hallway, of course. Quite heartbroken when she saw you here, to bad she thought she'd never get to see you again. Come," Fintan gestured Kenric to follow them. Warily he stood up. He almost fell over but Ophelia let him lean on her shoulder. In the next cell was Oralie, leaning up against the wall that separated her from Kenric's cell. She'd evidently fallen asleep, however the anguished expression on her face made it clear she'd cried herself to sleep.

When they opened the cell her body twitched but she remained asleep. Kenric stumbled to her side, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Kenric…? No he's gone…. He's been gone for so long…. He's here…. No…." Oralie kept on mumbling softly. A tear slid down the side of Kenric's face and he pulled Oralie into a hug.

"I'm here," he whispered tenderly into her ear. Ophelia felt heartbroken at how these two lovers had ended up. Fintan however was leaning against the side of the wall, seemingly impatiently. Oralie opened her eyes slowly and when they found Kenric's a smile lit up her face. They sat there for awhile, exchanging quiet words only they could hear.

Finally they remembered the two elves and Scout who were waiting for them. Kenric stumbled up, blushing, his hand running through his filthy hair. He helped Oralie up to her feet.  
"Took you two long enough. Now, if we _want_ to get out of here, I suggest we _GET A MOVE ON!"_ Fintan whirled around, grumbling to himself as everyone else followed. Oralie took Ophelia's hand in her's.

"This is very brave of you, and…. Thank you, for seeing through this all. You could've taken your chance and ran, but you stayed back. Thank you," she whispered kindly.

Fintan brought them through multiple hallways and finally after one more twist they saw light. Before they stepped through the doorway though he held out his hand, blocking them. Ophelia crouched by him to see why.

Before them was the Throne room of Queen Thalia, with her sitting regally on the throne. Beside her was Tessa who had odd bands around her wrists. Around them her wrists looked red with small amounts of dried up blood. Before them stood a mass of elves, all the elves from the Lost Cities who'd survived.

Ophelia immediately vanished before Fintan could figure out her plan. He turned around, seemingly frustrated. Kenric gave her the smallest wink though. She slipped through the crowd, keeping her back on the wall. Oralie held a frustrated Scout back. If Thalia saw him, she'd know immediately that Ophelia was there.

Having no shoes on, Ophelia was able to quietly sneak up beside Tessa. Queen Thalia seemed to be in the middle of giving an important speech, completely unaware of Ophelia. She scanned the wristbands on her mother's wrists, looking for a way to unlock them. Ophelia noticed the smallest keyhole imaginable on the bottom. Somehow she'd have to steal the key from the Queen without her noticing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tessa's head turn a fraction of an inch her way. She knew her daughter was there. Ophelia could feel her hold on staying invisible slipping so quickly and quietly she climbed onto the side of the Throne. It was very tall, however since it was cut unevenly there were small footholds. She could see the key she needed around the Queen's neck. How on earth was she supposed to get it?

Suddenly a shadow bird swooped down from the ceiling, it's talons stretching towards the Queen's necklace. The elves gasped, however Queen Thalia attempted to fry it by launching lightning at it. Much to her disappointment, the lightning just went through it. The bird snatched the necklace, ripped the key off of it and casually dropped it into Ophelia's hands. As soon as it touched her skin, the key disappeared.

"TESSA DON'T JUST STAND THERE GET WHOEVER IS THERE!" The Queen shrieked. Tessa's eyes watered slightly as electricity shocked her wrists. However the pain ended as soon as Ophelia unlocked the wrist bands.

Ophelia reappeared as the ground shook like crazy. Cracks in the ceiling appeared, the columns that held it up were crumbling. She turned to see her mother glaring daggers at the Queen. A wicked grin spread across Tessa's face as ice, wind, earth, shadow and all other matter of abilities was used against the Queen. Who didn't stand a single chance. Immediately she well, might as well have disintegrated.

Everyone cheered and there was a bunch of hugging before everyone leaped to their separate houses. It truly was amazing what all the elves could do when they worked together. Oralie also brought Scout back to their house.

The next day everyone received a letter. A question had been floating around everyone's mind- with all the Councillors dead (they assumed Oralie was gone and Kenric was still dead) who would lead them? Everyone gathered at Eternalia before the Councillors Towers. A small stage had been set up and on it stood two elves hand in hand. They didn't wear anything particularly fancy and had no Circlet on their heads.  
Oralie who stood on the right wore a simple scarlet gown with small pieces of amber embedded in the neckline, her hair loose. Kenric had a casual clothing on as well and had crazy hair that he somehow pulled off perfectly. They stood hand in hand with bright smiles on their faces.

"Hello, everyone! We're so glad you could all make it! There will be multiple plantings in the Wanderling woods this week to honor our fallen Councillors. However, we have begun to notice all the issues with the many decisions our Council has made. We like to think of ourselves as 'fair' and 'equal' but we truly are not. Having different levels of status can come in handy, yes, but the Nobility and the Talentless has grown to be…. A major flaw in our society. This may take some time, but Oralie and I have decided it's time we change. Anyone can wear a cape, everyone is 'Nobility', anyone can work wherever they want and so on! It's time we consider everyone as equals. Of course, we still need leaders, so every year we'll host an 'election' as the humans call it. Everyone can vote for the new leaders, and the previous will either move out of office or stay if they are elected again. Again, the gnomes and dwarves have shown us a huge amount of generosity and have offered to build us a large office for all the leaders at the time. We will have three leaders and they will each have their own separate quarters, if they choose, in the building. As well there will be a huge meeting area where we will deliver new laws, make decisions, give advice and so on! Since the decision of leadership is up to you, the first election will be held tomorrow. Everyone will receive a ballet if they are above the age of ten and will be allowed to vote for anyone above the age of twenty. Thank you!" Kenric smiled at the audience who cheered. Both Oralie and Kenric stepped down into the audience and started answering all sorts of questions everyone had.

Tessa was shocked the next day to see that she, Kenric and Oralie had been elected to be the first new leaders of the elves. She accepted eagerly, however she only had one condition, and that was to be permitted to live at her house with her family. Ophelia smiled at how brave her mother was. She had to admit that she pretty much had the best parents ever.

After everything that had happened it was nice to finally see some good changes. Changes for a new start, a new beginning.

 **A/N: Hi guys! Sorry that was like really long but I hope you liked it! Sadly, this is also the last chapter! D: My friends and I, (light-and-Shadows-Mist-and-ice) are writing a new story called 'Disaster' with Ophelia and Scout and her new friends back on a daring adventure so don't forget to check that out! Here's the responses to the reviews:**

 **light-and-Shadows-Mist-and-ice: Yep :P and thanks!**


End file.
